China will expand its comprehensive pilot programs to more cities to accelerate the opening up of the service sector, according to the State Council on Friday.

Nine additional cities -- Dalian, Ningbo, Xiamen, Qingdao, Shenzhen, Hefei, Fuzhou, Xi'an, and Suzhou -- will be able to carry out comprehensive pilot programs, the State Council said in its approval of a work plan that aims to expand comprehensive pilot programs.

Efforts should be made to expand voluntary opening up in an orderly manner, tap into the potential of China's supersized market, promote high-quality development of the service sector, and contribute to building new institutions for a higher-standard open economy, according to the State Council.

The pilot programs will cover key sectors such as finance and healthcare and include measures like improving social security services for foreign residents and promoting inter-hospital data sharing, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

China's annual trade in services exceeded $1 trillion for the first time last year, demonstrating significant potential for further growth.

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